Leaving Secrets in Code is a Security Risk: A Solution To Keep Secrets Safe

Alice, a talented software developer in the banking industry, was tasked with building an application enabling customers to access their account information securely. She had to use her login credentials to access internal API from the banking systems.??

Alice inserted the "secret" values directly into the source code without much thought. She was under the false assumption that no one could access her laptop. However, it was a significant security risk.?

Leaving secrets in code is an invitation for unauthorized users to exploit the vulnerability.???

Unfortunately, Alice's experience is not unique. Developers leave secrets in the code, thinking it is a quick and easy way to retrieve it. They fail to understand the importance of securing their code or believe it's not their responsibility.?

Leaving secrets in code is a common reason for security breaches in software supply chains.??

But what are secrets???

Secrets are digital authentication credentials like OAuth tokens, API keys, certificates, passwords, and encryption keys used in services, infrastructure, and applications.?

In today's world of modern software, secrets are a must. Development of open-source software has become the norm thanks to tools like GitHub. But there is a problem when this public code needs to handle authentication secrets like API keys or cryptographic secrets. For security reasons, these secrets must be kept confidential. However, common development practices, like adding these secrets to code, make it easy for them to get out by accident.?

And when secrets are made public by accident or on purpose, it puts the whole team, company, and everyone involved at risk.??

So, what can we do about this???

To ensure the safety of secrets in any software architecture, we must take measures to secure them adequately. However, keeping track of where secrets end up can be challenging with the modern software development process, as they may be scattered across source code, production logs, Docker images, and instant messaging apps.?

• A popular method for securing secrets is by utilizing Key Managers.??

These have become the go-to solution for businesses seeking to avoid embedding credentials permanently into their code. With Key Managers, secrets can be securely stored in a centralized location.?

• Securing the development environment can be another effective approach.??

Secrets can be protected by restricting public access and installing automatic security measures in the code repository, such as internet scans to detect code snippets that may expose the source code.?

Data breaches have become common in the modern digital landscape, and hackers are constantly developing new tactics to gain access to sensitive information. To mitigate the risk of these attacks, it is crucial to take proactive measures to protect your organization's secrets. This is where partnering with a security firm like Fortanix can create a significant impact.?

Fortanix Data Security Manager DSM SaaS provides a comprehensive data security solution that includes encryption, multi-cloud key management, tokenization, and more. All these features are available as a service from one platform, streamlining the data security process.?

• Fortanix DSM uses FIPS 140-2 level 3 HSM to store sensitive data and credentials outside the source code. This protects confidential data. ?
• Fortanix supports Kubernetes for real-time monitoring and secret injection without revealing them during development or deployment. ?
• Role-based access control (RBAC) for users, apps, and groups with the division of duties gives clients more visibility into who is accessing secrets. ?
• Fortanix supports JSON Web Tokens (JWT) authentication to protect further, and trust requests and offers safe, customizable plugins to enhance functionality and connect to any DevOps environment.?

To learn more about the solution firsthand, you can start your free trial here?